Singapore is a stunning destination: a unique city with modern spectacular skyscrapers, historic temples and amazing food. It’s also a melting pot of cultures, with so much to discover and explore. City lovers will enjoy the hustle and bustle, while nature lovers will thrive in Singapore’s beautiful green spaces. The city-state is unique in more ways than one though, and being well prepared is vital to have the best time during your visit. If you’re thinking of travelling there or you’ve already gone ahead and bought your plane ticket, check out these top tips for visiting Singapore for the first time.
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Top unique experiences in Singapore
Be ready for the humid heat
Singapore may be a modern and advanced city, but you will definitely feel its tropical climate. Temperatures are hot throughout the year, with the average lowest temperatures at night around 25 or 26°C, reaching 31 or 32°C at the hottest time. During most of the day, you can expect a temperature of around 30°C. You will likely feel even hotter due to the high humidity, which also characterises the city’s climate all year around.
Therefore, anytime you’re outside or in open environments in Singapore, you will feel the sweltering humid heat. Visitors who aren’t used to this climate frequently struggle when visiting Singapore for the first time.
To keep as cool as possible, you should wear light and loose clothing. You should also avoid polyester in favour of more breathable fabrics, such as cotton or ideally linen. Linen shirts or blouses and trousers can provide great comfort in Singapore, keeping you cool and protected from the strong sun.
If possible you should also avoid spending too much time outside during the hottest hours of the day. This will generally be between the late morning and mid-afternoon. During this time, try to stick to indoor, air-conditioned locations, which definitely don’t lack in Singapore.
And this brings me nicely to the next tip!
Bring a jumper with you
While the sweltering humid heat dominates outdoor environments in Singapore, most places indoors are air-conditioned. They also usually keep the air conditioning quite cold, creating drastic changes in temperatures and humidity levels between inside and outside.
Some visitors struggle with these sudden drops or jumps while in Singapore, and many may find the indoor temperatures quite cold.
Therefore, one of my top tips for visiting Singapore is to bring a light jumper with you when venturing out. It can always be useful if spending long periods of time inside, with a much colder temperature and very dry air.
Carry an umbrella or waterproof clothing if visiting in the wettest months
While rain can happen at any time of the year, November, December and January are the wettest months. During this time it doesn’t just rain often, but torrentially as well.
While there are many options to avoid the rain and spend time indoors in Singapore, you should still prepare for the rain.
Make sure you have an umbrella or waterproof clothing with you, to stay dry when inevitably you need to be outside for a bit.
For more information on the weather and climate of Singapore and other destinations, check out this website.
Be aware of the strict public order laws and avoid getting fined
This is definitely the most important of my top tips for visiting Singapore. Many people are not prepared for how many things you can be fined for when visiting Singapore for the first time. Laws are definitely stricter than in most other places, with fines being very commonly used as deterrents for undesired behaviours. Things that often go unpunished in other countries can land you a huge fine in Singapore. In addition, fines are often lower for first offenders, but they get higher for repeated offenses.
While this certainly contributes to the image of Singapore as a clean and pleasant city, it frequently baffles visitors. Rest assured though that the instances of tourists being fined are rare, but when it happens it often makes international news.
Below is a list of the 10 most common ways you could be fined in Singapore, that you should bear in mind throughout your visit.
- Littering
- Eating or drinking on public transport (and yes, this includes water!)
- Smoking where it’s not allowed
- Jaywalking
- Not flushing a public toilet
- Spitting in public
- Feeding any wild animal
- Vandalism
- Use of a Wi-Fi network without authorisation
- Noise disturbances
Don’t pack chewing gums and vapes
In addition to the above ways you could be fined, there are a couple more things that are banned in Singapore that you must not bring into the country.
First, chewing gums are banned in Singapore and importing them can land you a huge fine, even if done accidentally. Curiously, chewing gum was prohibited in 1992 mainly because people were vandalising public transport with them. This led to issues for residents as it was costly to clean, so the authorities decided to ban them altogether.
It is not actually illegal to consume chewing gums though, although you could be fined for littering if you don’t dispose of them properly. Therapeutic gums, such as nicotine or dental gums, are legal though, and you can buy them at pharmacies.
Second, vapes of any kind are banned in Singapore. This includes their importation and use. Therefore, don’t bring any vaping devices into Singapore. If you’re caught with them, they will be confiscated and you will be fined or even imprisoned.
There are smoking alternatives that are legal in Singapore though, including nicotine gums, patches and lozenges.
Know where to find the best bargains
Singapore is an expensive city. In fact, it’s one of the most expensive cities in the whole world!
Eating out at restaurants is definitely pricey, both in high-end restaurants with stunning views and in chain restaurants and coffee shops.
However, there are plenty of places to eat out for cheap prices in Singapore. One of my top tips for visiting Singapore is that you should try to eat out like a local rather than a visitor, which will save you money and show you more of the local cuisine and culture.
Hawkers Centres are the main places to go for a filling, delicious and cheap meal. They are open food courts with plenty of stands, offering both food and beverages. You will find them mainly in the most traditional and oldest parts of the city, especially Chinatown and Little India. They will serve primarily local food from Chinese or Indian cuisines, and you can get a meal for less than SG$10 (around £6 or $8).
While I’d definitely recommend visiting Hawkers Centres, remember that locals eat there, so they will get extremely busy at meal times. Also, remember to clean up your table, place your rubbish in the bins and your used trays on the racks. You’ve probably guessed it already, you can be fined if you don’t.
Kopitiams are other places where you can eat local food for cheap in Singapore. They are similar to western coffee shops, and aside from food they also serve coffee (kopi) and teas (teh tarik). Like Hawkers Centres, they provide an informal atmosphere where you can experience local cuisine and culture. You can also find them almost anywhere in Singapore, so you should definitely give them a try!
